Lambeau Field

Randy Moss sure knows how to spoil a party. Moss caught nine passes for 150 yards and a touchdown as the Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers, 30-25, Sunday before a record crowd of 70,505 at remodeled Lambeau Field, which was rededicated at halftime. Moss is glad the stadium was refurbished and not replaced because it always brings out the best in him, starting with a five-catch, 190-yard coming out party in 1998.

The forecast for Green Bay on Sunday calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-20s. That's balmy compared to the bitter-cold NFC championship game at Lambeau Field four years ago, when the New York Giants won in overtime, 23-20. Then, the mercury dipped to minus-23 and Eli Manning's stock was on the rise, even though he didn't throw a touchdown pass in that game. "If there was ever a game I thought should've been canceled because of weather that would've been it," Fox's Troy Aikman recalled.

A return to frigid Lambeau Field, a white-hot offense and an ice-cold Steve Walsh were exactly what the Green Bay Packers needed to salvage their playoff hopes. The Packers routed the Bears, 40-3, Sunday as Brett Favre threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Sterling Sharpe, and Green Bay's defense returned to form after a five-game skid. "I wish I could say I gave them a magic pill, but I can't," Green Bay Coach Mike Holmgren said. "You never expect a lopsided score in this division."

Week by week, the football world is learning something about the new quarterback of the Denver Broncos. Tebow ends with a W. The magic happened again Sunday in breathtaking fashion as Tim Tebow guided his team to another overtime victory — Denver's third in Tebow's eight starts — 13-10 over Chicago at Invesco Field. When is the stunning no longer surprising? When is the unbelievable almost expected? It's happening just about every week for the Broncos, who are 7-1 since promoting Tebow to the starting job in mid-October, have won six in a row, and trailed at the two-minute warning in each of their last four wins — against the Jets, Chargers, Vikings and Bears.

Carolina Panther fans, who haven't been scared off by forecasts of low temperatures and snow for Sunday's NFC championship game at Green Bay, can purchase round-trip air fare, a hotel room in Milwaukee, a bus ride to Lambeau Field and ticket to the game for $879 per person. Charlotte-based Broach Sports Tours offered 170 of the $879 packages, and by the close of business Tuesday had room for only 30.

Sunday was a historic day, even for a stadium as steeped in tradition as Lambeau Field. It was the last time the field will be used in its current configuration for an NFL game. Although the Green Bay Packers advanced to the next round of the playoffs, they will not play another home game this postseason. So the next phase of the $295-million renovation of Lambeau Field will begin in earnest; the demolition of the press box begins Tuesday.

The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are as far apart in parity as they've ever been. Monday night at Lambeau Field, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will work to further illustrate that divide when he tries to get the defending Super Bowl champions to 9-0. In Las Vegas sports books, Green Bay is a record two-touchdown favorite over NFC North rival Minnesota, the largest point-spread advantage ever between the teams. It was last season when Rodgers (2,619 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and three interceptions)

Tradition went head-to-head with pocketbooks Thursday as Green Bay season-ticket holders struggled with a surcharge to help pay for renovations at Lambeau Field. The Packers expect to raise $92.5 million through one-time seat fees once details for the payments are finalized. Currently, fans with three-game packages will pay $600 a ticket. Fans with seven-game packages will pay $1,400 a ticket.

Even with a 12-3 record and their third consecutive division title, the Green Bay Packers may not get home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Judging from their recent performances on the road, it may not matter. "We're playing very well right now, and we don't care where we have to play," Brett Favre said after the Packers won their third consecutive game away from Lambeau Field, 31-10 over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Week by week, the football world is learning something about the new quarterback of the Denver Broncos. Tebow ends with a W. The magic happened again Sunday in breathtaking fashion as Tim Tebow guided his team to another overtime victory — Denver's third in Tebow's eight starts — 13-10 over Chicago at Invesco Field. When is the stunning no longer surprising? When is the unbelievable almost expected? It's happening just about every week for the Broncos, who are 7-1 since promoting Tebow to the starting job in mid-October, have won six in a row, and trailed at the two-minute warning in each of their last four wins — against the Jets, Chargers, Vikings and Bears.

The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are as far apart in parity as they've ever been. Monday night at Lambeau Field, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will work to further illustrate that divide when he tries to get the defending Super Bowl champions to 9-0. In Las Vegas sports books, Green Bay is a record two-touchdown favorite over NFC North rival Minnesota, the largest point-spread advantage ever between the teams. It was last season when Rodgers (2,619 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and three interceptions)

Heisman Trophy, meet Lombardi Trophy. That would be rookie running back and Heisman winner Mark Ingram vs. Green Bay's defense, and you didn't need to remind the rollicking crowd at Lambeau Field on Thursday who won that showdown. With no time on the clock -- because Ingram's first-and-goal run from the one came after regulation had expired -- the Packers swarmed and stuffed him, securing a 42-34 victory. "It's tough when you do make it all the way down there and you aren't able to punch it in," said Saints quarterback Drew Brees, whose team got one last gasp because of a pass-interference call on the Packers on the last play of regulation.

Say all you want about the NFL, and we do plenty of that here in jilted Los Angeles. Call it greedy and arrogant, and you won't be wrong. But never call it unlucky or stupid. Thursday night's league opener sends New Orleans to Green Bay. The last two Super Bowl champions will slug it out before a national television audience that will tune in and stay there until the Super Bowl in February. The NFL is the ultimate television sport, featuring the competitive and violent tendencies that appeal to the ultimate sports fan. It is a rough and rugged reality, worshiped by millions who also use it for their organized fantasy.

The scene had a much different feel a year ago when Brett Favre rolled back into Green Bay and threw four touchdown passes to lead Minnesota to victory at Lambeau Field. Now, the quarterback is dealing with problems off the field ? he met with NFL security Tuesday over the alleged texting of X-rated photos of himself ? and inconsistency on it. At 41, he's looking closer to his age, and the Vikings (2-3) are looking to claw their way back to .500. Since that road victory, the Vikings are 0-6 away from home, with two of those losses in overtime, including the NFC championship game at New Orleans.

It all looked so familiar, and yet so strange. Brett Favre walking off the grass at Lambeau Field, fists raised in victory, photographers encircling him like a massive amoeba. And then there were the boos, raining down from the upper reaches of this stadium he knows so well. Catcalls from Packers fans who once thought he could do no wrong. "It was about what I expected, I guess," the Minnesota quarterback said Sunday after throwing four touchdown passes to lead the Vikings to a 38-26 victory.

Let's do it again, this time with Favre-Cam. Yes, Fox will have a camera dedicated to catching Brett Favre every minute, all game long on Sunday. The first time the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers met this season was on a Monday night and was pumped up (as if it needed to be) by the effective hype of ESPN and its cast of thousands. It was, of course, a hit with viewers. This time the game is on Sunday afternoon, on Fox and it's in Green Bay. So there's a little less manufactured hype (well, except for the Favre-Cam)

They lived up to Reggie White's legacy on the day his number was retired, playing with a menacing mix of passion, poise and precision. Not the Green Bay Packers, the Cleveland Browns. Trent Dilfer won for the first time in nine trips to Lambeau Field, guiding Cleveland over the mistake-prone Packers, 26-24, for new Coach Romeo Crennel's first win. Dilfer threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards and a game-icing 62-yarder to Steve Heiden with 1:50 remaining.

It all looked so familiar, and yet so strange. Brett Favre walking off the grass at Lambeau Field, fists raised in victory, photographers encircling him like a massive amoeba. And then there were the boos, raining down from the upper reaches of this stadium he knows so well. Catcalls from Packers fans who once thought he could do no wrong. "It was about what I expected, I guess," the Minnesota quarterback said Sunday after throwing four touchdown passes to lead the Vikings to a 38-26 victory.

One team is confronting a legend. Another team is trying to become one. The NFL might as well show today's divisional playoffs on the History Channel. The Seattle Seahawks play the Green Bay Packers in venerable Lambeau Field, where the names of heroes past -- Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, etc. -- adorn the stadium like ghosts. "You go in there and it's a little bit of a shock if you've never been there before," Seattle Coach Mike Holmgren said.

They lived up to Reggie White's legacy on the day his number was retired, playing with a menacing mix of passion, poise and precision. Not the Green Bay Packers, the Cleveland Browns. Trent Dilfer won for the first time in nine trips to Lambeau Field, guiding Cleveland over the mistake-prone Packers, 26-24, for new Coach Romeo Crennel's first win. Dilfer threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards and a game-icing 62-yarder to Steve Heiden with 1:50 remaining.